The Jubilee Sailing Trust, organiser of the Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge, has announced that a 21-year-old British male crew member has been evacuated from the 55-metre tall ship Lord Nelson to Tristan da Cunha in the South Atlantic in order to receive medical treatment for a pre-existing condition.

At approximately 1830 GMT on Wednesday 23 January the crew member was transferred ashore, from a position 17 nautical miles off the remote group of volcanic islands, in a launch operated by local authorities. Lord Nelson resumed her passage to Cape Town as soon as the transfer was completed.

The crew member, who had been receiving treatment from the Lord Nelson’s on board doctor during the passage from Rio de Janeiro, is one of the 35-strong crew sailing the second transatlantic leg of the Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town. A combination of ablebodied and disabled crew is sailing around the world on the 50,000-mile voyage that left Southampton, UK on 21 October 2012.

After receiving advice from members of the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s Medical Advisory Committee, and liaising with the JST’s shore-based operations team in Southampton, Captain Chris Phillips decided the best course of action was to transfer the crew member ashore for further medical attention.

Jubilee Sailing Trust CEO, Alex Lochrane, said: “The Jubilee Sailing Trust has >carried out numerous medical evacuations at sea over the last 26 years and it is something that our experienced team, both on board our ships and in our operations team ashore, take in their stride. The fact that the team carried out the operation in such a smooth and seamless fashion, despite the remote location, is testament to their professionalism, and I’d like to extend our thanks to the MRCC and the local authorities in Tristan da Cunha for their assistance.”

“We’d like to wish the young man involved a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to the ship at a future date,” Lochrane added.

The crew member is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility on

Tristan da Cunha and it is expected that he will be transferred to Cape Town on a scheduled service when medical staff deem him fit to travel.

Lord Nelson is expected to arrive in Cape Town on 2 February.

ENDS//

Notes to editors

The Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge

Over 23 months Lord Nelson will log four Equator crossings and visit 30

countries on seven continents during her inaugural circumnavigation during which time over 1,000 people will have the opportunity to sail on the 55-metre square rigger. The Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge marks the first time that an accessible square-rigged sailing ship has undertaken such a journey crewed by disabled sailors alongside their able-bodied peers.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust’s tall ship, Lord Nelson, was designed to enable physically disabled people including wheelchair users to sail alongside their non-disabled peers as equals. Lord Nelson was built in the UK and first set sail in 1986.

Jubilee Sailing Trust

The Jubilee Sailing Trust was founded in 1978 and was the brainchild of

Christopher Rudd, a teacher and sailor who wanted to give his disabled pupils the same opportunities as able-bodied children. Starting with two non-adapted vessels, the charity grew and Lord Nelson, a custom built ship which can be sailed by a crew of 40, was commissioned. Since her maiden voyage in 1986, over 10,000 people with a physical disability have sailed aboard Lord Nelson and of those almost 4,000 have been wheelchair users. The Jubilee Sailing Trust also operates a second tall ship, Tenacious. She is currently operating voyages in Europe. www.jst.org.uk

Norton Rose

Leading international law firm Norton Rose is the title sponsor of the Norton Rose Sail the World Challenge. With more than 2,900 lawyers, Norton Rose offers a full business law service to many of the world’s pre-eminent financial institutions and corporations from offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Central Asia. Norton Rose is strong in financial institutions; energy; infrastructure, mining and commodities; transport; technology and innovation; and pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Norton Rose is the business name for the international law firm that comprises Norton Rose LLP, Norton Rose Australia, Norton Rose Canada LLP and Norton Rose South Africa (incorporated as Deneys Reitz Inc) and their respective affiliates. www.nortonrose.com